Winter wonderland

Published: Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 08:00 AM.

Granted, that area received heavier weather than the Panhandle, but it’s also had to deal with ice and snow more often over the years and therefore should have been better prepared. Officials in north Georgia are being heavily criticized for being slow to react, waiting too long to close schools and offices and to begin clearing roads. The city is blaming the state, saying most of the problems have occurred on state-maintained roads, while the governor is blaming weather forecasters for predicting the storm to pass south of the city.

If all those pointed fingers could be directed to push snow shovels, Atlanta already would be cleared.

Be thankful we didn’t get a greater accumulation of snow and ice, and be grateful that despite the unavoidable inconveniences, the community has avoided the confusion that could have made the situation worse. So hunker down, wait for the thaw and ignore all those Northerners on Facebook making fun of the Deep South’s version of a winter storm.

It’s ironic that after all the false alarms preparing for tropical weather to make landfall in Northwest Florida, the storm that actually fulfills predictions and hits the area proves to be more chilling — literally.

It even has an official name: Leon. Chances are, though, that it will be remembered not by that moniker, as a hurricane would, but as The Ice Storm of 2014.

The Panhandle has been through the tropical storm drill enough — and experienced its share of high winds, tidal surges and rain — to be sufficiently informed and prepared. Most residents take it in stride and are vigilant but not panicked. They know when in the forecast process to increase the seriousness of their threat level and what to do if and when action must be taken. Every June through November, it’s just something you live with, like a background hum in the daily lifestyle.

But a winter storm here is at most a generational occurrence that sends some longtime residents who could easily rattle off the Saffir-Simpson wind scale for hurricanes looking for the definition of “wintry mix.” What’s the difference between sleet and freezing rain? How many flakes constitute a snowfall? (Popular answer: one.)

The alien nature of icy precipitation and slick roads in the land of flip-flops and T-shirts should be license for many folks to overreact — or perhaps worse, underestimate the threat and fail to take the proper precautions.

But so far, the community’s response has been admirably spot-on. Bay District Schools, local governments and many businesses made the right call to shut down Wednesday, keeping many people off the roads. Law enforcement and transportation officials have done a good job keeping the public informed of bridge closures and driving conditions.

Compare that orderly reaction to the disaster in Atlanta, where motorists have been stranded on highways and children confined to schools since Tuesday afternoon. Some drivers abandoned their cars and made their way to big-box stores, where they spent the night sleeping on the floor between aisles.

Granted, that area received heavier weather than the Panhandle, but it’s also had to deal with ice and snow more often over the years and therefore should have been better prepared. Officials in north Georgia are being heavily criticized for being slow to react, waiting too long to close schools and offices and to begin clearing roads. The city is blaming the state, saying most of the problems have occurred on state-maintained roads, while the governor is blaming weather forecasters for predicting the storm to pass south of the city.

If all those pointed fingers could be directed to push snow shovels, Atlanta already would be cleared.

Be thankful we didn’t get a greater accumulation of snow and ice, and be grateful that despite the unavoidable inconveniences, the community has avoided the confusion that could have made the situation worse. So hunker down, wait for the thaw and ignore all those Northerners on Facebook making fun of the Deep South’s version of a winter storm.